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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — completely
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — to tease
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com